During one of The Body Shop's many sales (buy 1 get 50% off 2nd; buy 2 get 1 free; and buy 3 get 3 free) I ended up with the Maca Root face wash, shave cream, and the Arber aftershave balm.
Even though it had been only two days since my last shave (which was pretty rough I'll add), I succumbed and thought I'd go really gently and pull off an amazing shave with my new found confidence in a new product (sort of like new golf clubs make your game better). It's a psychological thing. My absolute maximum shaving frequency is every 48 hours, and every two weeks I need to give it an additional day or two for my face to settle down again.
So yes, it was a risky proposition to start with being only 48 hours from a rough experience and using a new product. The reviews I'd read about the Maca Root shave cream rated it quite highly, hence the acquisition.
Well, using my normal routine and a 3 times used blade - Merkur 23C and Merkur blade - I proceeded.
Preparation:
I ended up using an excessive amount of cream, so my little bowl filled up really quickly. I added loads more water and kept mixing it in, and the cream happily accepted it. It almost seems slightly sticky, but it isn't actually (one gets these images of mixing treacle, molasses, and tree sap from some of the other descriptions). Because I used excessive product, whilst lathering up it volumised on my face, so I can imagine this being a great product for face-latherers.
Scent:
My wife loves the scent. I like it a lot. I describe it as sort of exotic and woodsy, but fresh. Reminds me a lot of aloe, greenery, and South American rainforests. It's a noticeable fragrance when mixing it up and applying it, but it isn't overpowering. The residual fragrance is pleasant - not soapy or perfumey. No reactions or stinging and so on and so forth.
During the shave:
The lather is rich and cushions well. This cream also holds moisture really well, so it didn't dry out on my face like some of the others I use. Just before the old high horse comes out I would like to add that I take my time shaving, so a cream that holds its moisture well makes a difference. The razor glided really well and didn't catch my skin in any places at all. Sometimes a lather will not have that slightly lubricating property that is desired, and that's when the head of the razor grabs my skin and it chatters. One needs a slightly "oiled" feel in the lather to prevent this chattering. This cream provided that in abundance for me. I held the razor at the tip of the handle between my fingertips, and let the weight of the razor do its job while focusing on blade angle. I did three full passes and performed some gentle touch ups to trouble spots. The key is I wasn't going for BBS because of the tender state my face was in. This cream is good for buffing because of its lubricating properties.
Clean up:
Some extra work is involved in the cleanup. I found I needed some extra rinsing to remove excess product off my face. This is the only point of mild contention I have with it. It's important to get this residual cream off my face as it may interfere with AS or ASB I use after. The product came out of my brush easily - my technique for brush rinsing is to fill my bowl and hold it under warm running water while slowly pumping my brush in the water for a while, following which I rinse the brush under the water directly. There was no residue or stickiness on the brush.
Post shave:
Great. No nicks, cuts, or any red lights at all. Nothing. I expected worse based on the risks I was taking with a tender face, but the cream and some care shaved the day. My face was smooth, tenderness free, and not sticky or tacky from the cream - proper rinsing is the key here.
Bottom line:
I am more than happy to keep The Body Shop Maca Root shave cream on my shelf at all times, and even use it slgihtly more frequently than some of my other creams.
Even though it had been only two days since my last shave (which was pretty rough I'll add), I succumbed and thought I'd go really gently and pull off an amazing shave with my new found confidence in a new product (sort of like new golf clubs make your game better). It's a psychological thing. My absolute maximum shaving frequency is every 48 hours, and every two weeks I need to give it an additional day or two for my face to settle down again.
So yes, it was a risky proposition to start with being only 48 hours from a rough experience and using a new product. The reviews I'd read about the Maca Root shave cream rated it quite highly, hence the acquisition.
Well, using my normal routine and a 3 times used blade - Merkur 23C and Merkur blade - I proceeded.
Preparation:
I ended up using an excessive amount of cream, so my little bowl filled up really quickly. I added loads more water and kept mixing it in, and the cream happily accepted it. It almost seems slightly sticky, but it isn't actually (one gets these images of mixing treacle, molasses, and tree sap from some of the other descriptions). Because I used excessive product, whilst lathering up it volumised on my face, so I can imagine this being a great product for face-latherers.
Scent:
My wife loves the scent. I like it a lot. I describe it as sort of exotic and woodsy, but fresh. Reminds me a lot of aloe, greenery, and South American rainforests. It's a noticeable fragrance when mixing it up and applying it, but it isn't overpowering. The residual fragrance is pleasant - not soapy or perfumey. No reactions or stinging and so on and so forth.
During the shave:
The lather is rich and cushions well. This cream also holds moisture really well, so it didn't dry out on my face like some of the others I use. Just before the old high horse comes out I would like to add that I take my time shaving, so a cream that holds its moisture well makes a difference. The razor glided really well and didn't catch my skin in any places at all. Sometimes a lather will not have that slightly lubricating property that is desired, and that's when the head of the razor grabs my skin and it chatters. One needs a slightly "oiled" feel in the lather to prevent this chattering. This cream provided that in abundance for me. I held the razor at the tip of the handle between my fingertips, and let the weight of the razor do its job while focusing on blade angle. I did three full passes and performed some gentle touch ups to trouble spots. The key is I wasn't going for BBS because of the tender state my face was in. This cream is good for buffing because of its lubricating properties.
Clean up:
Some extra work is involved in the cleanup. I found I needed some extra rinsing to remove excess product off my face. This is the only point of mild contention I have with it. It's important to get this residual cream off my face as it may interfere with AS or ASB I use after. The product came out of my brush easily - my technique for brush rinsing is to fill my bowl and hold it under warm running water while slowly pumping my brush in the water for a while, following which I rinse the brush under the water directly. There was no residue or stickiness on the brush.
Post shave:
Great. No nicks, cuts, or any red lights at all. Nothing. I expected worse based on the risks I was taking with a tender face, but the cream and some care shaved the day. My face was smooth, tenderness free, and not sticky or tacky from the cream - proper rinsing is the key here.
Bottom line:
I am more than happy to keep The Body Shop Maca Root shave cream on my shelf at all times, and even use it slgihtly more frequently than some of my other creams.
